Piercing Walls and Souls
by sparkjolt
Summary: Bella Swan trusts no one and never lets herself care about anyone. When the Cullens come to town, her life gets flipped and twisted, especially with Edward Cullen around, who hates her with a passion she doesn't understand. When they learn of each other's secrets and a danger comes to light, who will survive?
1. New Beginnings

**A/N: I do not own any of the characters. They are from Twilight and Stephanie Meyer owns them.**

_**Summary: Bella Swan trusts no one and never lets herself care about anyone. When the Cullens come to town, her life gets flipped and twisted, especially with Edward Cullen, who hates her with a passion she doesn't understand. When they learn of each other's secrets and a danger comes to light, who will survive?**_

Chapter 1: New Beginnings

"Shit!" I cursed as I looked at the clock. I was late. I had been awake for two and a half hours, and I was already late. _Great job, Bella._ I grabbed a granola bar and shoved it into my mouth as I ran out the front door of my father's house. Only it was more like my house, since Charles Swan didn't really live here. Actually, I was the only one who lived in this house. I cooked, cleaned, wrote the checks. The only thing I didn't do was actually pay the bills, and I prayed that I won't have to do it in the near future.

I threw open the door of my rusty red Chevy truck and drove as quickly as I could in a vehicle that was decades older than me. Thankfully it hadn't broken down yet. But even with the threat that it could die on me at any moment, I still loved it. Yes, it wasn't flashy, but I don't need flashy. Flashy means talking to Charles, and I would rather walk on broken glass in the pouring rain than ask for money from him. Another reason for my dislike in buying a new car was it meant unnecessary attention, which is another thing I really despise. It means getting noticed and people bugging you for attention, friendship, or worse. I didn't want it.

In my life, I needed to be alone.

I arrived at my first period class with two minutes to spare. Sighing in relief, I sat down and prepared for class to begin. The teacher wasn't here yet, and I wanted to check over the homework I finished last night.

"Hey, Isa_bitch_!" Mike Newton slid into my line of vision. Damn it. Mike Newton was known to be one of the sluttiest assholes in this school. The saddest and most disappointing part was, with his six foot tall body, his sandy blond hair falling over his big blue eyes, and his position on the football team, none of the girls seemed to mind his subpar personality. They just swooned.

When I had first arrived at Forks High, throngs of people stood in line to become "Bella's New Bestie and/or Boyfriend". And that included the Populars; Mike Newton, Tyler Crowley, and Eric Yorkie as the jocks, Jessica Stanley and Lauren Mallory as the fake-slut cheerleaders. When I shunned their invitation of being in the popular crowd and avoided them like the plague, I was sent to the bottom of the food chain. One advantage of being a social pariah is that no one will talk to me at risk of being on the same geeky level as me. On the downside, I have to endure the Popular's need to whisper behind my back and call me derogatory names several times a day. It's too bad I can't tell him what my dad does for a living besides being a chief of police. If I did, they'd all run to the hills screaming bloody murder.

I tried ignoring Mike, but he was persistent. "What, too scared to have a talk with little old me?" he smirked.

I responded steadily. "No, not at all. I just wanted to run away from the stench. What is that _smell_? Can you smell that? Oh, wait," I wrinkled my nose as I leaned toward him. "It's _you_. Oh, I'm so sorry." I pulled back and let a small smile grace my face. "You might want to take a shower before you go to your next class. Don't want anyone saying that jock extraordinaire Mike Newton smelled like a girl." And with that, I shoved my face in the book I just pulled out to use as a wall between him and myself. His shocked and outraged face would be something to amuse myself with for the next few days. I knew I was going to pay for those remarks later, but I couldn't help myself. It was too much fun seeing his pigeon-size brain try to process my words.

Now, I know I might seem harsh, but let me tell you something. I had already known these people for two months and I knew how fake these kids were. All of them were. I've watched every single person in this dreary and lackluster school (mind you, there aren't that many people here) and I knew how insecure they are. They are backstabbing, hormone-driven fools. Just last month, Tyler had finally given into his never-ending lust and fucked Jessica in the janitor's closet, and by the time fifth period had started, everyone in school knew what had happened except for Tyler's real girlfriend at the time, who was the high school sweetheart, Lauren Mallory. It took three days until someone finally told her, and everyone found out about that when Lauren stormed into the cafeteria, slapped Tyler full on in the face, then stormed back out with tears streaming down her face. Today, Tyler was still fucking Jessica, and Lauren had transformed into a bitter harpy. She sleeps around now as well, but not as much as Jessica does.

Forks. A pathetic excuse for a town.

"Hey," I heard Jessica whisper from across the classroom. "Did you hear? There's an entire family of new kids that are starting today."

One of her many followers and worshippers whispered back, "Are you serious?!"

"I heard that all of the kids are adopted. The father, Dr. Cullen, is supposed to be this total hottie, big-shot doctor, and since his wife Esme couldn't have any kids, they adopted five teenagers."

"Do you know their names?"

"Yeah, something like Emmett, Alice, and Edward Cullen, as well as Rosalie and Jasper Hale. But you know what's really weird?" Jessica loved those who hung onto her every word.

"What?"

"They're all couples. I saw them during the weekend—Emmett and Rosalie were totally making out, and Jasper and Alice were making googly-eyed faces at each other the entire time. The only one who's single is Edward. Let me tell you, all of them are totally drool-worthy and absolutely beautiful, but Edward is smoking H-O-T."

"Are you guys going to get together?" Alert: new gossip being made everybody!

Jessica snorted in her fake girlish way and flipped her permed and dyed brown hair over her shoulder. "Of course we are. We're totally the hottest people in this town, so we're going to be expected to get together. I bet he's such a monster in bed." She finally noticed my head tilted her way to catch the conversation. "What are you looking at, freak?"

I shrugged, unfazed by her catching me listening to her. "A pathetic excuse for a human being," I replied.

She flushed red with mortification and anger, scrambling to make a comeback. "Like you aren't any better, _Isabitch_? You have zero friends, you're a total nerd, and you're the father of the fucking chief of police! Talk about having empty pockets. You're a nothing!"

Her words bounced off of me, not entering my mind or soul. I smirked at her. "If I'm all of those things, then what are you?" And with that, I turned in my seat to face the blasted teacher who finally decided to show up.

X

That wasn't the first time I heard rumors regarding the Cullens.

This is an unbelievably small town. Like tiny. Everybody knows everyone and if something new happens at seven o'clock in the morning, two hours later everybody knows about it and will be talking about it for a couple more weeks.

This is why it's good that I don't have anybody to talk to. You can't tell somebody all of your secrets and find out that the person spilled all of it to the first person they ran into. And if there are rumors about you, you know that they're 100% false.

But just because I went out of my way to avoid being social with every human being, didn't mean I wasn't lonely.

Lunch came and went with me sitting in the library, working on the homework already given and trying to find a new book to read. Our English teacher, Mrs. Chang, had decided that even though we had already read the book in ninth grade, she loved the _Lord of the Flies_ so much that we had to read it again. Not only that, but we also had to write an essay explaining several symbols and their meanings from the book. Unfortunately, I am not a huge fan of the classics and knew from ninth grade that I hated Lord of the Flies. I mostly read non-fiction essays and educational novels. So now that we were finally done with the book and continuing onto another topic, I wanted to cleanse my mind with a good book I didn't have to constantly analyze. I passed a hidden corner that revealed Jessica making out with Tyler, showing no signs of concern or trepidation that someone might walk in on them. Jessica's flimsy black bra was being revealed, and Tyler had his hands on her ass. Her hands were just on the zipper of his bulging pants, fingers brushing the zipper…

EWWWW! MY EYES!

I quickly spun around and found an alternate route to the exit, not even dwelling on my reading dilemma and more focused on trying to forget what I had just seen. No such luck. Ugh, couldn't they have been doing that in a more cliché spot? Like, I don't know, a janitor's closet? There was less of a chance that I'd walk in on them in there. And now I had to avoid that spot at all costs because whenever I would be there I would think of them christening the library books! "Thanks a lot, whore and asshole," I muttered to myself.

The bell echoed through the halls and I scurried over to my fifth period Biology class, not wanting to pass Jessica and Tyler in their post-coital bliss. As I entered the classroom, the first thing I noticed was the most alluring and appealing scent I've ever smelled. Leather, a forest still damp from rain, and a masculine musk that I couldn't identify but was as distinguishable as a firework sparking at midnight. My head snapped up, instinctively searching for the source of the scent. My gaze landed on a man who was seated right next to my seat at my desk, his shockingly vivid emerald eyes locking with mine.

I only had one thought.

_Edward Cullen. _

**WELL!? I swear I edited this at least six times, and I'm still nervous about messing something ridiculously obvious up. The suspense is K-I-L-L-I-N-G me, so just write a review and tell me what you think of it. I won't bite, I promise!**


	2. Black Eyes

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters. They are from Twilight and Stephanie Meyer owns them.**

_**Summary: Bella Swan trusts no one and never lets herself care about anyone. When the Cullens come to town, her life gets flipped and twisted, especially with Edward Cullen, who hates her with a passion she doesn't understand. When they learn of each other's secrets and a danger comes to light, who will survive**_

Chapter 2: Black Eyes

Even with him sitting, I could easily tell he was much taller than me. His torso was extremely well muscled and the simple grey button shirt plastered to him like a second skin did not hide it one bit. Without even a blemish or mole, his skin was as pale and white as can be. He had a slightly crooked nose, like it had been broken once and never healed correctly, but instead of the flaw making him look less attractive, it only made him more alluring and roguish. His hair was easily noticeable—the color being so unusual I had to study it for a few seconds before I could decide on a color. Brown? Red? No, it was somewhere in the middle. More like the color of a penny, a bronze. Another reason why his hair stood out so much was because of how messy it was, how uncontrollable it looked. However, the thing that drew me the most were eyes of depthless coals that instantly had me feeling exposed and knocked off balance.

In other words? He was the most beautiful man I had ever seen.

And he was glaring at me with pure black hatred.

I blinked, taken aback by the obvious vibes of dislike that was emanating from him like waves of heat. His body was tightly coiled with the intensity of his feelings, and suddenly, a voice inside of my mind was screaming at me to run away. Fast.

But I never ran away from anything unless I had a reason to. I also felt a sudden amount of indignation at his negative feelings when this was the first time he had laid eyes on me. I mean, I knew the rumors and what the Populars say about me, but it wasn't something that you could so easily overreact to. Not up to the point you were glowering at me as if I had killed your parents.

With my head held high, I stubbornly walked towards him, twisting to sit in my chair and pulling my textbook and folder out. I felt Edward's eyes lock and prepare to attack at any moment.

As I watched him covertly, another thing suddenly came to my attention with alarm and bewilderment. How was I completely sure that this was Edward Cullen? When I had first seen him, his name immediately came to mind, but like I said, this was the first time we had laid eyes on each other. I do not know what Edward Cullen looks like. For all I knew, this could be Emmett or Jasper.

The tardy bell rang, and Mr. Banner called the class to attention. "Everyone, this is Edward Cullen, who is just starting today. He's come here with the rest of his family from Chicago and will be staying with us for the remainder of high school. I would like all of you to make sure that Mr. Cullen has no trouble transitioning." There was an implied _or else_ in his tone, and with that he plunged with gusto into his lesson.

I wasn't paying attention. Instead of being impressed that I was right in my guessing his name, I had a sense of shock and unease. _No_, I told myself_, you're just being paranoid. Don't let all of Charles's lessons bleed into your school life_. Ignoring my father's voice inside my head, I focused on my new lab partner.

He was still as tense as he was when I first entered the classroom, if not more. With his pale hands clenched into tight fists, his shoulders hunched, and his body so still he could have been ice or stone, I was again forced to fight the instinct to back away from him. _This was too much for a few little rumors the Populars told him about me,_ I realized. Did he know my father? With that question in mind I froze as well, my senses spiraling and jerking as I tried to pick up any threats.

_Mr. Banner lecturing loudly about genetics._

_Paper, stale air, cloth._

_Mike muttering something to Eric about Jessica's mom getting a face lift._

_Deodorant, wood._

_Two girls whispering about their grades._

_Steel._

_Lead scraping against paper furiously._

_Sweat._

_Thirty two people breathing._

_Wet forest, rough leather, man._

As time passed, my muscles slowly relaxed, cautiously believing that there was nothing around that should cause alarm. With that issue cleared up my curiosity returned and I once again gazed at the man who was sitting there as if he was in Hell on Earth.

Who was this guy?

The bell rang abruptly and decisively, cutting me from my musings. Edward sprang from his chair as if he were a bullet from a gun and raced swiftly out of the classroom so fast I couldn't even blink before he was gone.

Still in a state of bafflement I shut my books in a confusing daze. I don't even remember heading to the locker rooms or getting dressed, but all of a sudden I found myself in the middle of gym class playing soccer with my body on autopilot. To everybody else, it looked as if I had been born a professional soccer player with the absolute ease I was moving right now. Looking around me, I saw all of my classmates giving me awed and envious looks of disbelief, their mouths opened slightly. _Fucking idiot,_ I berated myself. This is what I get for zoning. Cringing on the inside, I hastily allowed Mike to steal the ball from my possession and score a goal. After that I continued to play poorly for the rest of the game, trying to, as usual, attract as little attention as possible. Hopefully everyone will forget my slip up in trying to be a regular human girl by the time class is over.

Once school was done for the day and I was driving back home, my mind floods with the questions that had been on my mind since I walked into my Bio class and "met" Edward Cullen. Then I questioned why I cared about the boy at all. What did it matter? As the Cullens get settled and become more acquainted with life in Forks, they will quickly see that I am the geeky, closed-off freak everyone thinks I am and will want nothing to do with me.

But as I'm pulling into the driveway of my house, I had a revelation. I did not want Edward Cullen to do any of those things.

_Snap the fuck out of it! _One cute guy stumbles into town that already hates you and you're so bothered by it you want to prove to him you're not what everybody thinks you are? He's doing you a favor! Any other guy would attempt to start a conversation with you for weeks before giving up and now you want the one guy who doesn't do that to become goody-goody with you? Again, _wake the hell up,_ Swan!

_Only he's not just a cute guy,_ a voice whispered in the back of my head_, he is the embodiment of masculine perfection. And you secretly want to make sure that somebody out there still wants to be close to you even though you know they can't so you can feel some form of love or human contact._

You. Are. Not. Helping.

_I have to take advantage of the situation and evade Edward Cullen,_ I decided. I would not speak to him, look at him, or even think about him unless I absolutely had to do it.

There. Problem solved.

Feeling better and more stable now that my problems were solved, I got out of my car and let myself into the house. Dropping my bag on the chilly tile floor of the kitchen, I made myself a snack and began working on my homework. By the time I was done, it was four o'clock and I decided to make dinner early. Pulling out the necessary items, I made myself chicken parmesan with a salad. I had been forced to fend for myself when I was really young—making toast and cereal when I was nine and having as much sugar and carbs as I could. Thankfully I eventually grew tired of eating the same thing every night and gradually pushed myself into making things that were a little more healthy and nutritious for me.

After swallowing my last bite, I washed the dishes and went upstairs to my room. It was rather bare with a clunky queen bed dressed in a simple sheet and two pillows, a dresser for the minimal clothing I had, and used books from multiple hole-in-the-wall bookstores covering the surface of the floor. It wasn't much, but it was just what I needed. Walking to a corner beside my bed, I carefully pushed a few stacks of novels aside and carefully pried open a piece of the floor that carefully hid a ditch in an excellent and brilliant presentation of woodwork. I grunted as I hauled a scarred and battered steel chest out of the hole, slightly rusty from the air and branded with phrases and sentences in different languages, once legible a few years ago. The only thing that wasn't old and worn was a huge lock attached to the lips of the chest—insanely complicated and strong. It could only be opened by pressing my fingerprints to the touch screen and entering two different passwords. One used the lock's voice recognition feature and the other required typing a twenty five symbol combo into it. It was a really big lock. Actually, the entire chest was the lock.

The only reason I used a lock that the CIA only dreamed about was the fact that it held the most precious items in the world for me and I didn't want anybody to be able to access them.

Lifting the lid of the chest, I uncovered the soft protective cover obscuring what lay underneath. The first thing that drew your eyes was the large sleek bow that nearly spanned the entire length of the box. Next to it was a large quiver stuffed with dozens of different types of arrows, from regular steelhead arrows to the exploding trick arrows. Another bundle of cloth was packed at the top, and I pulled all of these items out. Like every other day I do this, I first waxed both my bow and arrow, then restrung the bow and made sure the fletching of each arrow was not damaged or crooked. I cleaned the shaft and sharpened the arrowhead. Next, I took the heap of cloth and rolled it out. Dozens of weapons ranging from knives to sai to katanas, as well as shurikens and kunai fit snugly in the interior of the protective material. For the next hour or so I spent my time carefully sharpening and polishing each weapon laid before me. I handled them with a familiarity that was almost frightening, the balance of each object second nature to me. If a grown man saw the variety and sheer number of equipment created to kill and torture I had before me, he would pee in his pants and run away like a bat out of hell. But me? Before I could even walk or talk I was playing with knives and other objects most toddlers wouldn't go near if their mothers didn't want to have a heart attack.

While I was working, I stared at what was at the bottom of the chest. The locket, whistle, beautiful angel wing necklace, and a picture of a woman with my brown hair and slender figure were the only things I had left of the innocent side of my childhood. The childhood that had crumbled to dust before my eyes. Before memories could overtake me, I focused my concentration on testing the sharpness of my collapsible katana's blade.

Once my task was done, I cleared all of the items away and placed them back in the chest. Locking it and dropping it back into the concealed pit, I made sure that it looked exactly as it did before I opened the floor.

I stretched my tight muscles and yawned. It was nine o'clock and I should probably go to bed if I wanted to wake up at five. Trudging to my bathroom I changed into baggy sweats and my "THE BOOK WAS BETTER" T-shirt and brushed my teeth. Plopping onto my mattress, I twined myself around a pillow and snuggled in, waiting for the sheets to warm from my body heat. Operation Ignore Edward At All Costs would begin in the morning.

Yet as I began drifting off soft black eyes brushed behind my eyelids and gazed back at me, secrets flitting underneath the surface.

_**If anybody is interested in beta-ing this story, I would be so very grateful to have the assistance and support. I'm still a newbie and will most likely need some guidance in the future, as well as some pointers in things like punctuation and grammar. So please message me if you can!**_


	3. Reappearance

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters. They are from Twilight and Stephanie Meyer owns them.**

_**Summary: Bella Swan trusts no one and never lets herself care about anyone. When the Cullens come to town, her life gets flipped and twisted, especially with Edward Cullen, who hates her with a passion she doesn't understand. When they learn of each other's secrets and a danger comes to light, who will survive?**_

**Wow. That took a lot longer than expected, and I apologize. Hopefully it'll be a lot sooner when you get your next chapter, but please don't get your hopes up. I only write when I can write and I don't have a lot of time for writing during the weekdays. So we'll see when Chapter 4 comes up…**

Chapter 3: Reappearance

All I could remember of my dreams that night were flashes of black. I woke up disoriented, my brain fuzzy and my eyes cemented shut. The sun hadn't shown up yet and it was pitch-black outside, but at five o'clock in the morning it was to be expected, especially when you're in Washington and clouds are permanently fixed above. I was shocked. I usually wake up wide-awake and ready to face the world in an instant. And I was accustomed to rising early after doing it for so long.

Eventually I dragged myself out of bed and pulled on tight-fitting yoga pants and sneakers, shaking my head to clear the fog out of it. Tying my hair up in a messy bun while going downstairs, I made myself a smoothie using frozen raspberries, soy milk, and a square of dark chocolate. Gulping it while I let myself out the back door and stretched out on the back porch, I shivered and reveled in the pure crispness of the cool air. Once I was warmed up and finished my pre-workout smoothie, I took off running in the woods, dodging trees and jumping over broken branches, making sure my breathing was as even as it could be. More time passed, and I could see the sky lighting and the clouds becoming a pale white as the sun rose. As I got farther and farther from my house, I pushed myself faster, pumping my legs harder and harder. Soon my destination loomed over me—a large tree I had stumbled upon when I first moved to Forks and was deciding what my daily running path would be. It wasn't a very hard choice. The tree was as large and as thick as its neighbors. It stretched fifteen to eighteen feet, and was as average as all of the other trees around it. The one thing that made it stand out was the great scar that ran across the entire length of the tree, part of its bark black and burned. A few branches were split and hanging morosely on its edge, and yet the tree still lived and had survived the encounter. That was the reason why I chose it as a marker. I didn't need help to find it now—I memorized this trail long ago, along with the rest of the woods around my house in a three mile radius. It was a valuable tool when I camped during school vacation and didn't have anything else to do.

Right at the foot of the tree I dropped down and began doing pushups, squats, crunches, and pretty much all of the other exercises I could do on my own. By this time I was panting, my muscles and lungs straining and twitching and begging for me to let them rest. My mind shut out the pain, ignored my body's plea, and forced me to push on. I wrapped up the ends of my workout by sprinting as hard my body would let me all of the way back to the house.

I let myself heave and sweat and relax for a little while until I was well enough to take a shower and dress into my standard dark skinny jeans, long-sleeved shirt, and sweatshirt. I then made myself a real breakfast—eggs, toast, some ridiculously crispy bacon—and scarfed it down. As I ate, my thoughts drifted to yesterday and a certain black-eyed guy_. I wonder if he'll react the same way he did yesterday. Will he not talk to me at all? _Will_ he talk to me? Will he—_

_What are you doing! You're not supposed to think about him, Bella! Quit it, now!_

Chastised, I dragged my thoughts to safer areas while I brushed my teeth and grabbed my backpack. I thought about things like the math test coming up on Friday and the keynote presentation I needed to display to the class next Wednesday. All normal, mundane thoughts that were the only thoughts I should be having. But in the back of my mind, the eyes were still lingering.

X

As I pulled into a school parking space, nervous tingles began to flood my body. I subtly scanned the campus to see if I could find him, but I didn't see any tall guys who were glaring at me. Placating myself with the fact that I would see him in Biology, I made my way to my first class.

The gossip was out of control. Even the boys, who aren't exactly famous for being the gossips of the human race, were saying, "I heard this—" or, "I heard that—". The information given wasn't as much as everybody wanted—teenagers who are extremely bored with their lives always love dissecting scandals and playing it over and over again—but just the idea of a new family coming into the small town was enough to keep their minds entertained. Like a new TV show, almost. And how interesting this TV show was! Dr. Cullen was the most renown and brilliant doctor in Chicago. In reality he could make ten times more then the highest salary available at Forks Hospital. But Mrs. Cullen wanted to live in a smaller town, so the entire family packed up and moved without complaint. All of the kids were straight-A students and as well behaved as they could possibly be. No transgressions, no skeletons in the closet, no nothing. And despite the fact that all of this information was fascinating, the Populars were becoming a little frantic. It seemed they didn't have enough gossip. The absurdity of such a beautiful family with no problems and perfect in every way was a little too good to be true, so everyone wanted to figure out why they would come here. I was wondering that myself.

I mean, _honestly_. They seemed to have had the perfect life back in Chicago. An entire family balancing their responsibilities and still having plenty of time to bond with one another. I understood how Mrs. Cullen could get tired of city life, but Forks? It's the last place that any normal family would move to. There were so many more choices and opportunities in a big city like that. Why go somewhere where your chances of getting a good, solid education and a career you're passionate about drops?

Regardless of the inquiries and rumors, Jessica still managed to convince the entire female population that Edward Cullen was off limits because of their first meeting, where Jessica introduced herself and made it very clear that she was single. She was so proud of the moment, she'd been bragging about it so many times I had the beginnings of a migraine. The boys were all talking about how Rosalie Hale was a complete bombshell, and were all hoping that she and Emmett Cullen would miraculously break up and she would start dating other guys, specifically themselves. But from what everybody was saying, my gut was telling me that they, or Alice and Jasper, wouldn't break up until pigs flew and the world detonated. And the feeling was solidified when I got my first glimpse of them at lunch.

My reasons for spending lunch in the cafeteria that day were split. One was because even though I had packed a full lunch that included a turkey sandwich, a bag of chips, and some carrots, I was still hungry and wanted to buy something to eat. The second was to see the rest of the Cullen family. A slight part of me was eager to know if the rest of his family would react the same way he did—with animosity, disgust, and a whole lot of hate. I was able to find a single table in the very corner of the room, which let me see all of the entrances and tables of the cafeteria effortlessly. I'd be able to spot the newcomers in an instant.

The first one I saw was a monster of a man. The biggest guy I've ever seen in my life. Unlike Edward, whose muscles were primed to perfection and was as lean and lithe as a panther, this Cullen looked like he'd been taking massive doses of steroids, and had the appearance of a grizzly bear. Along with the super muscles, he had a buzz cut with brown hair, hazel eyes, and dimples that were slightly visible when he was smirking. And instead of looking absolutely hideous and scary-looking, the guy looked as godlike as Edward had. There was no better description. On his arm was a gorgeous blonde who had even more beauty than the steroid monster, with long legs and curves in all of the right places. Each strand of hair looked as if it had been placed with great care in the exact spot it was required to be in. I swore I could see almost every single girl staring enviously at her, even the Populars. With the steroid guy holding their trays of food, they walked with a grace that almost didn't seem human and sat down, picking at their food and talking quietly.

The door closest to me opened and a girl a head shorter than me came in, her pale skin and black spiky hair a sharp, beautiful contradiction. She was dressed as fabulously as the blonde bombshell, yet even with the clothes I knew she would still look as beautiful wearing a clown suit than the designer top, jeans, and ballet flats. She was as ethereal as a faerie. Behind her was a tall man with curly blonde hair falling slightly into his line of sight, hovering protectively, yet an unspoken tenderness in his eyes when his gaze fell on her. Something on his skin caught my eye, and I peered with more intensity onto his bared forearm. They were faint, but I could almost see lines scattered across the skin. My mouth turned down slightly. What were they? I couldn't see them that well.

The faerie and the lined man joined the bombshell and the steroid monster, and seeing almost the entire Cullen children in one space did I understand why everyone was so hung up about them. Because they were right—they were too perfect to be real. It had to be an illusion, a dream, a movie with a whole lot of special effects. Yet they were sitting right there.

Another question was answered too. They did not look at me, glare at me, give any negative body language towards me, nothing. They acted the exact same way any normal new kids would react to a stranger. With complete and total ignorance, if not a little curiosity.

And this raised another question: where was Edward? Shouldn't he have been sitting there with the rest of his family like he had done yesterday, as Jessica had said while bragging? Where was he?

_He's probably just in the library, or outside, or anywhere else on campus_, I reasoned. _I'll still see him in Bio._

The anticipation built as I made my way to the Bio room. Wondering how he'll react. Wondering if he won't react. Wondering if he'll speak. Wondering if he won't. By this time, my muscles are tight and I had a death grip on my backpack strap. Just one hallway until I was there. Halfway there. Ten steps. Five. Four. Three. Two. One. I turned into the doorway, my senses on high alert, looked up, and saw…_nothing_.

Empty air. As if nobody was supposed to be there at all, like he didn't exist. I remembered how he hadn't been in the cafeteria, and the realization came:

He wasn't here.

I let loose the breath I didn't even know I was holding in a rush. I felt people standing behind me, waiting to get into the classroom, and I automatically began walking, my legs moving robotically to the table, but my eyes still fixed on his seat and my mind elsewhere. So many different emotions were swirling around me. Outrage. Bewilderment. Hurt. Why would he skip class for _me_?

_You idiot_, a voice snapped. _He didn't leave because of you. Why would he? You're only assuming that because he hated you so much yesterday. There are hundreds of other explanations to why he's gone._

Biology and PE passed with me still feeling the exact same way I felt since the end of lunch. I faintly remember how distraught and put out Jessica was since Edward was absent, but other than that, it was my second day of being bombarded with emotion.

To put me in an even worse mood, a box was waiting for me at the front of my door. I scowled, already knowing who sent it, and not liking it one bit. Charles. I checked the address where it was sent from and I snorted. Oregon? Yeah right. There was no way he was in Oregon. I didn't even want to know how he got it to say he mailed it from Oregon.

Entering the house and dropping my bag on the floor, I took out my debugger and scanned the box for any bugs, chips, or tracking devices. Seeing none, I pulled out some scissors from a drawer and cut it open. Inside there was one book on the basics of Russian, an expert guide to Italian, and a book on nuclear astrophysics. Great. Extra homework.

Dropping the books on the table and rubbing my eyes, I fell into a chair and prepared myself for some heavy reading. This was _so_ not my day.

X

Days passed.

The town calmed. Eventually the gossip went down. Life adjusted and the Cullens grafted seamlessly into Forks life. All of them but one.

He never came back.

And now I was okay with that. After some heavy thinking, I realized my feelings were absurd. They didn't matter. I was now officially neutral and emotionless to Edward Cullen.

And as the days passed, Edward Cullen slowly became an idea, a figment of imagination. Jessica stopped pouting that he was gone, and life went on.

I had managed to go through most of the books left to me the day Edward Cullen had disappeared. Papers were scattered all across the living room with my scribble and dozens of diagrams to explain and apply what I'd been reading. I finished the foreign language textbooks a while ago (they were the easiest to learn) and I was putting all of my attention on nuclear astrophysics. I predicted that I would completely master the theory in two days. It wasn't the most difficult subject that I was forced to learn, but it still took five days. Thank god I had learned what the best study strategies for me were or else it'd have taken two times longer!

I planned on taking a trip to find local Russians to practice speaking and interacting, just to make sure I had grasped the language. Hopefully I would just have to go to a Russian store or restaurant where the staff were fluent and had an authentic accent, but if not, then I'd have to take drastic measures. The worst thing I had to do was to go to a Seattle Chinese smuggling port to see if I had become fluent in Chinese. It didn't end well (thankfully I had a disguise on), but I knew how much worse the consequences would be if a test was given unexpectedly by Charles and I didn't pass it with flying colors. I shuddered. Yes, I would take a smuggling port any day if it ended without me punished.

"Miss Swan," My American history teacher broke me from my musings abruptly. "When did the Battle of Alamo take place?"

I glanced up at him long enough to answer. "March 6th, 1836."

I went back to my doodling as he scowled at me. He shouldn't blame me—school was ridiculously boring. I couldn't understand how kids learn so slowly. It was downright painful for me as it was now, I couldn't imagine continuing to study English for a few more years in college. Don't get me wrong, I love learning about something new. But the thing is, I've already learned everything that's been covered and will be covered for the rest of my education years. If I could graduate early, I would in a second to escape enduring high school and college, but it would make me stand out if I finished so quickly, so I was stuck with pretending to struggle at a regular pace with my peers.

There is only one positive thing that comes out of still doing school. As long as I'm working on my homework, I don't work for my father. I don't have to disappear and forget what it's like to act like a regular person with regular problems.

The class came and went, the teacher occasionally giving me irritated looks as I ignored his entire lecture. During lunch, the Cullens were at their usual table, talking, smiling, and acting absolutely normal.

"Hey Isabitch! I heard that you pissed off Mr. Bierne in World History. Very nice. Hey, you know, maybe if you keep on pissing him off, you could get expelled, and then we'd never have to see your fucking face again! What do you think of that idea?"

A mask slid over my face, and I coldly smirked as I turned to face Tyler and Lauren. "Well, I don't know. I'd love to get out of high school—I mean, who doesn't—but you would miss me so much, so why would I take that away from you?" I stepped closer, challenging him. "We have a great arrangement going on. You hide all of your little insecurities in that tiny bird brain and your dick while picking on me to make you feel superior. Why do you want to break it?"

"Hey!" Lauren cut in before Tyler could say anything. "Don't talk to my boyfriend like that!"

"Boyfriend?" That was slightly unexpected. I thought Lauren would be smarter than getting back with the ex that cheated on her, but then maybe I was thinking about the goodie two-shoes Lauren, not the cold, fake Barbie Lauren. Wait, hold on a second…

"What, jealous?"

"No… Actually, how long have you guys been together? I thought Tyler cheated on you."

Tyler put his arm around Lauren's shoulders and puffed his chest. "We've been together for two weeks. And she finally forgave me for being a complete ass." He said smugly. "I know you were hoping to get some of this, but you were a little too late."

"Yes, I was. But Jessica got some just in time, didn't she?" I asked him. The blood drained from his face slightly.

"Yeah, right! Tyler would never get together again with someone like _Jessica_. Wow, are you really that desperate? Right, Tyler?" She finally glanced at him and noticed that Tyler looked way too guilty. Maybe I had underestimated her intelligence. "Tyler?"

"Lauren—"

"You fucked Jessica! _Again_? Are you shitting me? We've been dating for a week and you've already fucked someone else? After I finally forgave you for going behind my back and cheating with her in the first place! We were even going to have sex this weekend, but no, you couldn't wait that long could you?" He had no response to that. "You know what, Tyler? You can go straight to hell, because I'm never going to fall for your act _ever again_!" And with that, she fled the scene with her eyes watery and her heart broken.

Guess who gets the blame for this one?

"You!" Tyler hissed at me. "You're the one who did this! I was finally getting somewhere with her, and now I have to work even harder than I did last time! Oh, you're going to pay for this. I'm going to ruin your life."

Do you see what I went through every day?

"You know what, Crowley? Go take a number and wait in line." I walked to Bio, incredulous that some men can't seem to realize that most of the problems that happen in their lives were _their_ faults, not others. I was also slightly hoping that Lauren would learn her lesson and stay away from Tyler. As much as she was a bitter harpy about everything that ever happened to her, I couldn't help but feel some pity. Lauren did not belong to someone like Tyler Crowley.

I was so preoccupied with my thoughts of Lauren I didn't even notice what was different in the class until it was too late. I was three feet into the room when the scent slammed into me full force.

_Wet forest, rough leather, man._

I froze. Inhaled again, just to be sure. When I got the same results, I slowly laid eyes on the last person I thought I'd see again.

_**Yeah, I know. Another cliffie. It's funny because I HATE cliffhangers with an absolute passion, yet I can't help but write them. :) See you soon…**_


	4. Clashes

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters. They are from Twilight and Stephanie Meyer owns them.**

_**Summary: Bella Swan trusts no one and never lets herself care about anyone. When the Cullens come to town, her life gets flipped and twisted, especially with Edward Cullen, who hates her with a passion she doesn't understand. When they learn of each other's secrets and a danger comes to light, who will survive?**_

Chapter 4: Clashes

You've gotta be kidding me.

After finally settling on the idea that Edward was a ghost, now he just reappears like he's back from the dead? The world must hate me. Or just wanted to mess with my head for the rest of my life.

I found myself watching him cautiously out of the corner of my eye. He had his body seated as far away from me as he possibly could, his face and body turned away from me and was studiously ignoring me. It was almost as bad as the last time I had seen him, except instead of pinning me with his death glare, he was just pretending I didn't exist. The rest of the class was silently going berserk, whispering frantically about him, his sudden return and, of course, how good-looking he was. A few noticed how he was acting towards me, but the others were focused on him more than me. He didn't pay any attention to them either, whether he couldn't hear them or was just doing the same thing he was doing to me I couldn't tell.

_A nail dragging back and forth on the teeth of a zipper._

_The split ends of a few stands of hair being picked at._

_A foot tapping a constant rhythm on the stained classroom floors._

_Paper tearing from a notebook._

Class started with another lecture. Evolution this time. We'd already taken the exam on genetics and were moving onto the next chapter. Reviewing Charles Darwin, the Galapagos Islands, the turtles and finches that he studied, and how his theories had changed as more was discovered. We did learn this in elementary school, didn't we?

Even though I knew this subject top to bottom, I listened. I took notes. I did the activity given to us with perfect precision using the textbook. I didn't talk, only worked. I was a good little student who did everything the teacher wished.

"Now I have an announcement for all of you juniors. The ski field trip is going to be available to sign-up in a few weeks. They decided that we're going to go to Whistler, Canada." The class whispered excitedly, and he waved us all quiet. "I know for a fact that it's going to be for a week in March, so make sure your parents know in case they plan something important in that month."

A part of my brain wondered if I would be allowed to go. Knowing my dad, he'd most likely let me go if I did something for him, like steal or threaten someone important. Not really my thing. But I wanted to ski, snowshoe, embrace nature, forget about my worries in the mountains, and be away from the house where I was always alone. I would ask, but I wouldn't go if the cost was too high, I decided. It was a good enough compromise.

My contemplations on the matter were forgotten when the bell rang. I rose and collected my things swiftly and— "Oof!"

I looked up to find Edward's eyes closed, his jaw clenched and his nostrils flared. "Get out of my way," he hissed trough his teeth, his lips barely moving. And before I had a chance to react, he swept me aside like I was a fly buzzing in his face and disappeared from the classroom in a matter of seconds. I stared at his back the entire way…

And I gave up.

Seriously, I wasn't going to even try to figure out what the hell was wrong with him. I wasn't going to worry or give myself any emotional stress at all. No, I was going to pretend he didn't exist _and _I was going to be totally Zen about it too.

X

It went on for days like that.

He would do it out of nowhere. Suddenly snap at me, swap my hand away when trying to participate in a lab, criticize me cunningly in any way, shape, or form. It wasn't anything like Mike or Jessica would do; it was truthfully a beautiful way to bully someone. He would never call me horrible names in front of people for popularity and attention. Instead he would insinuate that I hadn't done any of the work on a project, with his proof being his handwriting on the xpaper and me glaring at him as if he was correct, when really he was so revolted by me he hadn't allowed me to write anything. He was a volcano, building up his tension and hatred until it couldn't be contained and without warning would explode in a burst of fiery passion.

Yet despite how much more bullshit I had to go through to maintain my lifestyle at school, I kept my promises. I didn't react to any of these hostile jabs. I just did what I was supposed to do in class, then left without a backward glance. I let no emotion show when I was around him, just a blank mask in place that I'd perfected since I was seven years old. Everybody at school, especially the Populars, was thrilled. Jessica took the fact that Edward detested me on sight as a fact that they were destined to be together. Edward ignored her, but didn't put the same amount of hostility on her that he put on me. It was good enough for her. The Populars tried to integrate into the Cullen's circle and were very unsuccessful, much to my hidden glee.

Another highlight happened after school. I had been staring at the sheets scattered around my living room with scribbled notes on my new extracurricular subject to study when the home phone rang, and my whole world froze. There was only one person that would call the home phone.

These were the moments that I hated and feared the most. The ones I dreaded at all times, even when I was sleeping or content or at my most vulnerable.

Without my consent, my body moved toward the shrilling noise. I so badly wanted to skip to ten minutes from now when I was finished with this conversation, but I knew that there was no way around it.

With shaky hands, my hand gripped the receiver and lifted it to my ear, pressing the answer button on its way. I made sure that my voice was in complete control before I spoke.

"Yes?"

A voice immediately cut to the chase, not bothering with any greetings or any other sentimental bullshit. My father's gruff voice said, "I'm assigning you to supervise a shipping arriving in your area. Tomorrow, 2300 hours. I'll have a car for you to drive in to Seattle. Can you take the address and other info down now?"

"Yes." I was entirely stiff, my posture perfectly straight and my eyes sightlessly staring straight ahead, even though he couldn't see me. I hated how well he had drilled that response to him into me.

"Good. Remember this address." He quickly told me the address, who would be there, a brief description of all of them, who I needed to watch out for, who was loyal to him, and who was easily expendable. I committed every detail to memory, not bothering to write it down and have evidence in the house. When he was done he added, "You're also needed in March. Check-ups and testing. I'll give you details later." March. That was the day of the field trip. It was my perfect opening, and I took it with both hands.

"Speaking of March," I interrupted boldly. "a school ski trip is being scheduled sometime then. I'm hoping that I can get some official time off for that."

There was a brief pause. "You think you deserve a little vacation?"

I chose my words carefully. "I think I've been rather good for the last few months. I'll have the testing done whenever it's needed."

Some more silence before, "You'll do the testing before your little trip. I don't care if you're late or not, and you'll have to get up there on your own. Understood?"

"Yes, sir."

"Oh, and Isabella? Show no mercy tomorrow. I'll know if you don't." And with that he hung up, and free at last, my breath whooshed out on an exhale I didn't even know I was holding.

Needless to say, that conversation had gone better than expected, even though I hadn't really wanted to have the conversation in the first place. I knew I had no choice in going to "supervise" whatever my dad wanted protected. Most likely it was drugs or illegal chemicals. The one thing I hated most about supervising, however, was the people I had to interact with during it. Sick psychos with twisted minds who had no morals whatsoever. They disgusted me. I had to be near the people who in all honestly should not be in this world at all, but in hell.

So to take my mind off of the activities I would need to partake in 24 hours from now, I headed to the library to borrow a book. Absorbing new text usually occupied most of my mind for some time, and it was just what I needed right now. I parked a block away from the entrance and walked over, my eyes scanning the shops next to me, the people walking down the sidewalk. Most of the people out right now were families talking and messing around, friends goofing around and causing trouble, and couples holding hands and whispering nothings into each other's ear. They were oblivious to the horrors that were happening, the evil and the sick and the terror that was occurring while they laughed and loved. They felt a world apart from me, especially after contact with Charles, and I was scrutinizing them from an observation window, not able to interfere or join them. Even they felt the divide, and would make extra steps to make sure they didn't cross paths with me. Then the moment passed and I was walking up the steps of the ancient library, with it's several-decade-old stone walls slowly crumbling as time passed, the rusting iron railing, and the squeaky doors that had been messily wiped for so long you could not see through it clearly. I loved places like these, so old that they reminded you there was a time when there wasn't technology, where there wasn't the mess that human lives were today, but just about survival.

I sneaked off to a quiet section I hadn't looked at before. I had already gone through half of the books in this building, and was close to being done, which was disappointing. It hadn't that been that hard of a feat, since this library was on the small side, but if I wanted more books to read after this, I would have to drive further to another library or bookstore.

I chose one section out of the dozens of shelves and scanned the titles. _Guns, Gems, and Steel: The Fate of Human Societies_ by Jared Diamond, _Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of the All-American Meal_ by Eric Schlosser, _British Royal Marines: Amphibious Division of the United Kingdom's Royal Navy_ by Bill Scheppler_..._

"Oh, for God's sake! Having to deal with you in class is torture enough, but is stalking me really necessary?"

I jerked wildly, the unexpected voice making me begin to crouch into a defensive position. Edward had his usual expression of disgust and dislike on his face. His arms were folded and he was leaning back away from me. I slowly straightened, my eyes still wide with surprise. My reaction may have been extreme, but I had never in my life been caught off guard or surprised. I had always known when people were approaching me—my hearing was too sensitive to not detect something like footsteps. But somehow, he had been able to place his feet so carefully I hadn't heard him at all. His scent had not warned me either—the air conditioning vent was right above me, blowing his scent away from me.

"Cat got your tongue?" He mocked.

No matter what state of mind I was in, I always had a witty comeback at my disposal. "Yeah, and he can remove the pole from up your ass too if you like." His expression darkened even further, if that was possible.

"Listen," he said. "I've been rather polite to you in class, I've even let you get away with not doing any of the work in class, so if you could just spare me the grief and move over, it would be really great."

I stared at him again, a few unpolite words just begging to be released from my tongue, but somehow I managed to hold them back. Instead I replied, "Dude, if that's your definition to being nice, I really don't want to know how you act to your family."

"Don't assume anything about me," he warned me.

"No? You don't have only two moods: angry or brooding? Then you must be one of those kids who love to pick on people smaller than them and then at home suck on your thumb cradling the stuffed animal you named Lion when you were three."

"Think whatever you like, but despite what you think, you're not any better than us. Let me guess," his voice turning colder. "you're a freak and a bitch because of several reasons. One, your father's a drunk, as well as acts extremely distant and closed off, and you've never really gotten any love from him. Your mother, on the other hand, is a workaholic, never lets the walls around her heart down, even for you, the reason being that the trust and love she had for her first love was broken and fell apart. You see her rarely, and your parents constantly fight when they're in a room together, whether it was about who was supposed to wash the dishes or drive you to a doctor's appointment. They had married young because they had you accidentally, and they were forced to quit their dreams and higher education. A crack formed in their relationship after that. They divorced, your mother ran off with some other wealthy businessman, and your father was forced to keep you. Now he is as much in your life as your mother was when she was around, and he pretends to work for the police force, when really he's just trying to get away from you!"

The little control I had finally burst and shattered at his words, and I stalked over to him, getting into his face. He could bad mouth me as much as he liked, but my family, especially my mother, was off limits. "You know what?" I seethed. "For the past few days I've been trying so hard to be polite and forgive everything you've ever done or said just to get through the year, but now that I see you don't have any decency or courtesy whatsoever, I'm just going to let whatever happen, happen, and if I end up slamming your head into a toilet and flushing it, then so be it!"

Before I knew it, my back was pressed against the bookshelves and my shoulders were squeezed by strong, cold fingers. "Don't you dare threaten me," he hissed.

"What are you going to do? Kill me? Please, you don't have the balls for it. In fact—"

"Is everything alright over here?" a stern voice asked. The librarian had apparently overheard the argument we were having, and had come to investigate. One look at her face, with heavy bags under her eyes broadcasting the amount of stress she'd taken from rowdy teenagers who didn't care about books and her body tired and bored from the quiet life of a young woman who was stuck as a librarian in a small town, and I knew that she would tell someone about what she had heard and seen. Her having the word get out that I had been arguing with Edward would cause me unwanted attention, and that was _not_ something I wanted, especially if it got back to my father. I had to make her let her guard down, to make her think our encounter wasn't as interesting as it seemed to be. It wasn't going to be very hard to so, since I had practiced manipulating people my entire life, and one simple, nosy librarian was going to be a piece of cake.

I started with a bright smile lighting my face, my body relaxed and open, and immediately her shoulders loosened a fraction, even if she was still a little but wary. To add to the effect, I said soothingly, "Yeah, everything's fine. We were just having a heated discussion on what our Biology teacher wanted for our assignment tomorrow."

Her guard cracked even more at the excuse, but she still put up a fight. "Do you want me to call the school? I know Ms. Cope personally; I could ask her if she could contact him."

That was _not_ something I wanted her to do. I kept my face relaxed not to alarm her. "Oh, no we're fine. The assignment isn't due until next week, and we can just ask him out question tomorrow. Right, Edward?" I placed my hand on his arm. He tensed at the touch and I squeezed my hand in warning. If he screwed this up for me, I was going to drag him out to an abandoned alley and kill him slowly. My thoughts were unnecessary though; he was already speaking to her, and with an even more stunning smile than the one I gave her. "Yes, of course. Thank you for your concern."

For the first time the librarian truly looked at Edward, and she immediately reacted to the sight—her breathing became uneven, beads of perspiration popped up on her forehead and she began trembling. "O-okay. Is...is there anything else you need?"

"Actually, there is something you can help me with," I give him a sharp look. "but first I have to say goodbye to Isabella, I know she much she needs a book right now." His back and his mass of bronze hair was now all the librarian could see, so she couldn't see the mischievousness in his eyes that I knew instantly was not a good sign, especially when I heard those last few words. And I knew I was right when he said, "Thank you so much for that interesting conversation about your parents. Please give them my regards." He bowed his head in farewell, the smugness radiating off of him like heat from the sun.

The audacity to say something so cunning and backstabbing made me speechless. I watched him and the librarian walk away, discussing whatever he suddenly decided he needed from her, even though I was absolutely certain that he could do it himself, and I was overwhelmed with the amount of uncontrollable fury that came over me. He mocked at degraded my mother, he threatened me, and he mentioned it in front of one of the town's ears. I could hear them five rows away, and instead of being professional and staying on task, she was now asking, "I know it probably isn't any of my business, but what about Isabella's family was she telling you about? Everybody in Forks is really concerned about her; she doesn't have any friends or family near her." Oh, yeah they're totally concerned. That's why they tried to hijack my car a couple weeks ago.

"I would tell you, but the only reason she told me was because I'm new in town and didn't know her as well as everybody did here. I really don't want to break that trust." Trust my ass.

"Oh," she said disappointedly. "Well, you really are a very nice guy, keeping her secrets. I'm just really worried. Her father and I used to be friends, and now I don't really see him that much." My teeth clenched. That bitch! She'd never even met my father, and even if she had, they'd never be friends.

Either Edward took her bait, or just wanted to torture me more. "Well, if you're so concerned, then you should at least know that she misses him terribly. Apparently there's a lot of strain in her household, and she's beginning to feel the stress."

"That poor girl! Well, thank you so much for telling me. And I promise, I won't tell anybody else. I know what you just told me is a private thing, and I would never betray Isabella, or you." And with that Edward got whatever book he needed, saying something about it being for his mother, and left.

I was livid, and yet deep down, in the smallest part of my soul, I was impressed. He managed to get a woman completely under his thrall with a few sincere lies, and without a doubt she would do anything for him now, including tell him all of the dirty gossip on me and anyone else in this town. Don't they say you have to admire your enemy if you truly wish to destroy him? So that's what I did. I gave myself this small moment to look at the good qualities of Edward Cullen—his looks, his quick wit, his intelligence—and then I forgot about everything I just thought and set a new goal for myself: to defeat him at his own game. He thought he would slap me a few times and I would just stay down and cower? No, I would not rest until I got what I wanted.

Prepare yourself, Cullen. The game is on.


	5. Silhouette

**A/N: Surprised to see me so soon? I know, I am too. Think of this as a surprise gift for waiting so long for Chapter 4. Don't get too used to me updating early, though. ****Please let me know if I made a grammar error; this chapter, as well as all of the chapters I've posted so far have been unbeta'd, and all of the mistakes are mine. **Hope you enjoy the chapter - a lot of questions get answered below.

**Another note: A song that I was listening to while writing this: Echo by Jason Walker.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters. They are from Twilight and Stephanie Meyer owns them.**

_**Summary: Bella Swan trusts no one and never lets herself care about anyone. When the Cullens come to town, her life gets flipped and twisted, especially with Edward Cullen, who hates her with a passion she doesn't understand. When they learn of each other's secrets and a danger comes to light, who will survive?**_

Chapter 5: Silhouette

I did end up leaving the library with a new book; one of the books I had looked at before I had been rudely interrupted. I had just grabbed something without looking and didn't bother to see which book I had chosen—it wasn't important right now. What was more important was that I had two hours until I had to watch over the shipment my father wanted protected. Part of my payment to escape to Whistler for a week was due, and I was required to pay it in full.

I stared at myself in the mirror. My auburn and chestnut hair was coaxed back into a messy bun, my bangs carefully pinned to my head to keep them from my eyes. No makeup on my face—I despised the stuff and wondered why on earth teenage girls used it. If one didn't pay attention to what I was wearing, you would think I was just heading to the store or to a fast food restaurant with friends. But my outfit changed your mind in a second. A dark material covered my entire body, stretching from the base of my throat to the shoes that protected my feet. It was tight and didn't sag or droop so that it wouldn't snag on something or cause drag. The cloth was tough, yet flexible, with no logos or art on it to allow me to blend in with the darkness of the night. A belt was attached to it at my waist, one with several pockets that were filled with many useful gadgets and tools. I took out my gloves and tugged them on, flexing my fingers back and forth to get used to the restraining clothing.

Most girls had sports in order to meet the requirements of physical education, but they didn't exercise enough to be properly fit. Others starved themselves to keep their bodies as thin as rails with no muscle or fat to do things like modeling or to boost self-confidence. However, the workouts and the diet I maintained for my entire life made my body toned, sleek, and fit beyond measure. I had no extra body fat on my body and I wasn't buff and bulging like those freaky female body builders and weight lifters, but every single muscle was in peak condition, and I worked hard to keep it that way. Unfortunately, it made me stand out from everybody else. My baggy outfits were helpful in concealing my athleticism, but those who did see it would naively say I was in the Junior Olympics or in some intense competitions. They didn't know I was trained for something much more horrifying.

I looked at the clock and sighed. It was time.

I moved to the corner of my room and opened up the floorboards, pulling out my chest and unlocking it. My choices of weapons were displayed, and I openly scrutinized each one, thinking about what I was doing tonight and who was going to be there before picking several shurikens, strapping a few throwing knives to my thighs, belt and forearm, and securing a katana to my back. I decided against bringing my bow and arrows—I didn't want the extra weight and bulk. I needed to be stealthy tonight.

Finally, I moved my hands to the very edge of the cloth protecting my weapons and slid out a mask. It was hard, made out of some type of metal that glowed in the dim light. It enveloped the entire face save for two eye holes, and had several scratches and marred patches to give it an ominous and threatening look. It was dramatic and screamed of overkill, but it had been a gift from someone special, and I couldn't bear to throw it away and get something a little more obscure.

Putting the mask aside, I put away the weapons I wasn't bringing and dumped the chest back in the floor. Straightening, I went to the mirror and looked again. Seeing myself like this, covered in black and looking like I was preparing for battle made my stomach tighten, and I broke my gaze from the threatening sight before me. I was doing this for me. So that I could relax for one week without having to worry about a call from the home phone or any unexpected packages coming in through the mail. One week may seem like a blink of an eye to anyone else, but to me, the small amount of time was a blessing. Even when school was off I never had the luxury of a true break, and being able to have this meant the world to me. I wasn't going to waste it. I wasn't going to fail. But despite all of that, I was really doing this for _her_, and I would never let her down. I haven't yet, and I wasn't planning to in the future.

Drawing a deep breath in my lungs, I closed my eyes and concentrated. I thought of the first happy memory from my life, pausing to bask in the joy and euphoria of the moment, before balling it up in one single ball of light and energy and cruelly shoving it into the recesses of my mind, locking it away. One by one I drew up a good memory, a memory filled with contentment and tranquility, then snatched onto it and wrestled it away. I shut down every single emotion—happiness, sadness, hope, despair, longing—until my mind was clear, focused, and my instincts and training were the only things I had. My senses expanded, sharpening and focusing as I became more aware of my surroundings—the house, the outside, and the traffic from the street. I opened my eyes to see my hands holding the mask, the final piece of the costume, and closed my eyes once more to press the metal against my skin. When I saw the person in the mirror, it wasn't me anymore. Not really. It was a silhouette, radiating an aura that caused people to shiver and step away. Its posture was perfectly straight, and its body language told the person that it was ready for action on a second's notice. You couldn't guess anything about the person, for all of its details and traits were hidden, save for the hair curled at the back of its head, the flawless pale skin at its neck, and the cold, emotionless eyes staring into the depths of your soul. It was a shadow, a ghost.

It was the Wraith.

And with that I walked to the back door of the house, my steps silent and invisible. As I walked away from the house and into the forest I paused, looking at the residence for a moment, at the remaining evidence of my humanity, before turning around and taking off running, heading in the direction of Seattle.

X

The car my father promised me was waiting on the outskirts of Seattle, a black Toyota Avalon parked on the very end of a parking lot next to a small strip mall. A large man was waiting next to it, and I watched him from the shadows of the trees. He had a gun concealed at his waistband, what looked to be a nine-millimeter semi-automatic pistol. He was standing straight and attempting to appear alert, yet the bags under his eyes as well as the constant shifting of his posture made it obvious that he was tired. Someone like that would be killed in seconds if attacked. As he began turning his head to watch the people coming out of the mall, I moved quickly, darting out from my cover and standing to his left, so that when his head came back around it seemed as if I had appeared out of thin air. He jerked back quickly in shock, his hand immediately going for the concealed gun. It was a pointless move, and I wondered if he knew who I was, or if his boss was stupid enough to not warn him about me.

He made an effort to calm his elevated breathing before inquiring, "You're the one monitoring the gig happening tonight? The Wraith?" So he had heard about me...

I said nothing, my eyes never leaving his. I took in his scent and committed it to memory in case I encountered him in any future situations. My ears pricked as I heard someone else breathing in the car before smelling farther and trying to scent any gunpowder or other lethal weapons in the vehicle. All I could detect was the lone gun on the man in front of me. His gaze fell upon the katana on my back and quickly averted his eyes, his breathing increasing again. "Um...well I'm supposed to take to you to the location, so if you would please step inside? Mr. Hernandez is waiting." He opened the back door for me and I stood there for a moment to make him squirm before getting in, the rough leather sliding against the cloth of my suit. I buckled in and faced the man that was sitting next to me as the car started and began moving.

Niguel Hernandez was not aging well. He was Latino, and you could easily tell that he had been a handsome man at one point. But now that he was leaning towards his fifties, his hair had become engulfed by salt and pepper strands, and you could easily tell that coming out only at night for his protection had leeched away his natural tan, making him look more sunken and withered. He had been in the same circles as my father for twenty-three years and my father had known him for twenty of them. Back in the old days, Hernandez had been known as one of the top dogs, one of the most important and dangerous criminals in the area, with his talents mainly in smuggling and trafficking. He was a cunning man, constantly thirsty for power and loved to punish those who disobeyed him. His weakness, however, was that over the years he had become too relaxed in his power, too used to not having anybody in the way of what he wanted. He was arrogant, and an arrogant man was a dangerous man to have around. I would be watching him tonight.

"A pleasure to be meeting the secret lieutenant of Raksha. I have heard much about you." Hernandez rasped in a heavy Spanish accent. Raksha was a name based on the demon Rakshasa, a brutal and bloodthirsty cannibal race in Hindu religion. It was Charles's codename, and as far as I knew, he was the only one who was only known as his codename, aside from me. Many people had tried to find out who he really was, but they all came up empty handed or dead. Only two living people besides the man himself knew that Charles Swan was Raksha, and he would never tell another living soul. "Of course, knowing that you will be here tonight to assist me is a welcome assurance, _chiquita_."

This time I did speak. "I am not here to assist you tonight, Niguel." He bristled at the intentional sign disrespect. "I am here because my boss is concerned for the safety of the cargo coming in tonight and wanted extra protection. He also wanted me to check for any unknown traitors who have been missed." His mouth tightened involuntarily at that, and I made a mental note about it. "I do not work for you, I feel no loyalty to you whatsoever, and if I have the slightest hint that you have veered off of your allegiance to the people you have worked with for so long, then, well... My boss made his intentions clear."

He became outraged at that comment. "How dare you! I have sworn to and worked with my brothers for twenty-three years! I wouldn't dare betray them. And I resent the fact that Raksha believes I need help in this matter. I am the King of Smuggling, and I won't let someone think I'm any less."

"By all means, do whatever you think is necessary to assure the success of tonight, but before you do, please think about why Raksha would have chosen me as his lieutenant. And do it quick, because we're here."

The car slowed to a stop, and the driver I had scared earlier got out and opened the door for Hernandez. I opened the other door by myself and I began scanning the area, observing the people surrounding us, the weapons around us, and anything else that would be useful to know in case of emergencies. The car was parked on the port, large containers of different colors surrounding us and the sea drifting to the left of the car. Large cranes towered overhead, hardly visible in the waning moonlight. There were twenty men on the port floor, not including Hernandez, each carrying a rather large gun in front of their chests. Unlike the man who had driven Hernandez and me over here, these guys were one hundred percent focused on the environment, with their bodies ready for any sudden action. Since the Hernandez wanted to avoid any unnecessary focus on what was proceeding here, no lights were on to illuminate the port, and every single man was wearing a pair of high-tech night vision goggles. Thankfully, my eyesight was just good enough that I didn't need them. Any less and I would have been disoriented and blind as a bat.

"Right, are the trucks here to pick up the cargo?" Hernandez asked a thug while checking his watch.

"They should be here within a minute, sir."

"Good. ETA on the ship?"

"Two minutes."

"Perfect. Everything is going to plan. Wraith, if you wish to patrol or look around, be my guest." he said in a businesslike voice as he turned to look at me, but I was already gone, standing on a container right next to an abandoned watchtower and a crane that gave me a bird's-eye view of the scene before me. He did a double take and tried to see where I disappeared to, but it was no use. The shadows hid my form perfectly. No one could see me without night vision goggles, and even if they did have them, I was in a spot that nobody would look at intently.

Now in the shelter of cover, I studied each of the thugs' faces for anyone my father described. My eyes landed on Javier Ugalde, a red flag my father mentioned in his phone call. "Ugalde's ex-navy, served for five years and broke off with them after his wife and daughter were killed in a terrorist attack. Afterwards, he trained with several masters to further his abilities in self-defense, and he became deranged and cold-blooded from the grief of losing his family. Most likely some form of PTSD. He's a loose cannon, so keep a close eye on him. He's been working for us for nine months, which is enough time to gather enough intel on us where it's a problem, and his aversion to obeying orders might cause him to break off soon," my father had warned.

I studied Ugalde. He was extremely fit, with his hair cut into a military style, his neck covered in tattoos that hinted of larger ones on the rest of his body. He had rather large bushy eyebrows and a hook-shape nose, and his face was set in a permanent scowl. I couldn't see his eyes from the goggles, but I could imagine how unnerving they were. He was the most volatile person on this port floor.

After studying him for a moment longer, I moved on to search for other faces. I picked out Jack Dixon, Cory Maddox, Gabe Wright, and Bart Johnson. All were extremely devoted to Hernandez and promised to give their lives for him after he had saved them. I frowned. Something was off. I scanned the premises again and realized one of the men my father told me would be here was missing. Lucas Steele. Black hair, green eyes, five foot eight inches, and a deformed ear from an accident. Where was he? I checked again and didn't see him. Hmmm... My options were to either tell Hernandez and see if he knew anything about it, or keep quiet and see if he would show up later, and report it to Charles if he never appeared. I watched Hernandez check his watch before deciding on not saying anything. I had a suspicion that something bad was going to happen tonight, and if Steele was working on something for Hernandez that risked the success of the shipment, I would need proof.

The trucks came into sight just then and preparation began for the ship's arrival, more men spilling out of the vehicles and moving about, shouting and giving orders. Just then the ship appeared and began docking, and more chaos churned as the ship was secured and a walkway bridged between the ship and land. I paid close attention, hunting for any inconsistencies or something awry. More shouting made me aware that the cargo was about to be moved off of the ship, and I waited for the first signs of the transport.

But what really emerged from the ship caused my breath to catch and my eyes widen in horror.

The cargo was people. Chained to each other like slaves, they all stumbled off the ship, their eyes wide with fear. Their clothes were torn and wrinkled, like they had been worn for days, and several were crying or had recent tear stains on their faces. One of them, in the middle of the line, was a little girl, her pigtails askew and drooping, her dress almost falling off her body. Grime covered every inch of her face, and she cowered from the men forcing them onto land.

My heart clenched, and for a moment, I forgot my hold on my emotions, letting shock, shame, disgust, and compassion roll throughout my body. I took a step forward, about to go and rescue the little girl who looked much too scared than she should be at her age, but the pressure of the task set before me and the consequences of attempting to save her rushed forward, keeping me back. A well of anguish covered me, because I was perfectly able to get them away from this, and yet there was nothing I could do and that destroyed me because none of them deserved it. They all were going to be killed and the little girl was too innocent for something like this to happen to her and it was one of the worst things I had ever seen because...because..._because she looked like me_.

I had to look away then, or else I would have done something foolish and reckless. I desperately tried to get that unemotional mask back, the focus that would keep me in line, and it took everything I had, every last bit of my strength, before I became numb and cold and faced the scene without flinching. Looking objectively, I counted ten people, including the little girl, who had been trafficked into Seattle. Studying their faces a little more, I realized that I recognized all of the victims. A few were senators, some were the CEOs or owners of major companies, and the little girl was the daughter of the Speaker of the House. They were hostages, bargaining chips worth millions of dollars, and they were extremely important. There were two trucks, five of them for each vehicle, and they would all be carted off to several safe houses where they would be kept until they were needed.

A noise caught my attention, and I looked back to see ten ratty old vans, like the ones you would easily recognize as a kidnapping vehicle. A tingle surfaced in the back of my mind, warning me that this wasn't extra protection and backup, and I sank further into the shadows.

The ten vans moved closer to our position, spreading out and encircling all of us. The doors of the vans opened, and dozens of armed men spilled out from them, two times more than the number of guards protecting the hostages. One of them, I noticed, signaled to the others, and they closed in. The hostages weren't in the trucks yet, but they needed to be if they were to get out safely and for the mission to be successful. I inched forward, ready to spring into action, when I noticed Hernandez look at his watch for a third time. It seemed as if he was anxious on getting the trafficked goods in the trucks quickly and on time, but it also seemed as if he was anxiously waiting for a surprise attack to happen.

The puzzle pieces all clicked into place, and my heart fell in disappointment. I had hoped I would be getting through tonight without having to do anything, but I guess I was never that lucky.

The leader of the raiders motioned with his hand and grenades were launched onto the port floor, exploding with deafening bangs. They swarmed in, taking out Hernandez's men as they converged on the trafficked victims. Panicked yelling came from all over as Hernandez's men scrambled to group together and fight back. And all through the mayhem and confusion, stood Hernandez with a shocked and bewildered look on his face. The shock seemed to wear off, and he ordered the five men I was instructed to watch to attack, and if you didn't look closely you would think that they were fighting back one hundred percent, but they missed openings in their opponent's guard that were too easy to spot, and they hesitated too much when taking them down.

That was enough proof for me to take action.

I jumped forward, adrenaline jumping throughout my body, but forced myself to stay calm, moving stealthily to the edge of the action where the commander of the surprise attack stood with two bodyguards. They noticed nothing until I pulled a smoke pellet from my belt and threw it at them, the little ball exploding at their feet and enveloping them in a cloud of vapor. Coughing, they swung around, angrily seeking out their attacker. It was how one of them caught a shuriken to the face, lodging into his night goggles and making them ineffective. The two remaining men swung around to see the bodyguard struggle with the night goggles when I knocked the second bodyguard off balance, allowing me to wrap my arm around his neck and keep him there as he protected me from the multiple shots being fired at me. I moved forward to eliminate some distance between me and the commander before abandoning my shield, ducking and twisting to avoid the bullets following my movements until I could knock the commander's gun to the side and out of his hands. He attempted to strike me, but I blocked and rapidly knocked his legs out from under him. His breath was knocked out of him with a _whoosh_ as I straddled him, and before he could throw me off I knocked him out with a punch. Not wasting any time, I pulled off the mask that was covering Lucas Steele's face. Now absolutely positive that this was Hernandez's doing, I took out a syringe and injected a poison into his chest, one that would instantly paralyze him and kill him within minutes. There was no known cure. Putting the empty needle back into my belt, I abandoned him and focused on the task of getting the trafficked victims out of the area.

Climbing up a container to analyze the situation, I took in the hostages crouching on the side of one of the trucks, three men keeping the attackers from getting their hands on them. The remaining of Hernandez's men were either dead or fighting. If there was any chance of getting all of the hostages out of here, then I needed to do it now. Pulling my katana from its sheath and a grenade from my belt, I jumped right in the middle of the fight between Hernandez's and Steele's men, slicing the throats of the four men about to endanger the victims. As soon as they weren't a threat I threw the grenade in my hand to the group of people in gun range, not caring if they hit the men on our side. They were all monsters anyway if they were participating in this.

Turning part of my attention to the three men defending the hostages, I said, "Take them and put them in the truck. We only have a small window of opportunity to get them out." The three of them stared at me uncomprehendingly.

I made a growl of impatience. "_Now_." And with that they snapped into action, two of them pulling at the victims and forcing them into the truck, while the other one got into the driver's seat and started the car. I then focused my attention on the incoming attackers, who had noticed that their targets were about to escape. Running to meet them, I took them down quickly, never pausing or second-guessing my actions, just following instinct. I finished the last one as the truck pulled away, and I spotted another of Steele's men aim a grenade launcher at the truck, and before I could think my throwing knife was stuck in his chest. As soon as the truck was out of sight, the last of Steele's men had been eliminated, and the noise of the water lapping at the port was the only noise left. I only had one more thing left to do, and then I was done. I tuned into my hearing and heard Hernandez panting loudly below ground. My eyes fell on a trapdoor, and I yanked it open to haul him out of it. He yelped, fumbling for his gun, but I snatched it from his hands and disassembled it. Realizing it was me, he looked around to search for any of the attackers and when he found none, he scrambled to his feet, attempting to recreate some if his composure and menace.

"Are they all gone then?" he asked haughtily.

"The cargo is en route to their destination and the enemy has been neutralized." I replied tonelessly.

"Well, it was nice for you to jump in. I just lost more than half my men." He snapped angrily.

"Actually, if I had jumped in right away, I wouldn't have done the job Raksha had assigned me properly."

"That's bullshit! You were surveilling since the second you got here, and you missed the army that had knocked on our door! So much for the legends of the famous Wraith," he sneered. "Now everybody knows they're all false."

"The legends are there because I find out secrets nobody knows. And that I can get the job done. For example, I found a traitor in out midst."

He paled infinitesimally and his scent amplified with his nerves, but showed no other signs of nervousness.

"Raksha will be very disappointed, Niguel. But apparently it was good that he always takes precautions, otherwise he would be in quite the position, no? Or was that just an added bonus to your plan?" I murmured.

"What on earth on you on, chiquita? I've had enough of this—Maddox, Dixon, Wright, Johnson! Take this bitch off my dock, I need to call Raksha and discuss with him a replacement for his lieutenant."

The four men stepped forward, but hesitated to complete comply with the order. The commander of Seattle's trafficking noticed this and barked, "Well? What the fuck are you waiting for?"

I answered for them. "You didn't see what occurred during the attack. They did. They're doubting their capabilities to take me down without being killed. A smart move, since they had also known about the plan you organized in taking the hostages for yourself."

The thugs' eyes widened, and I turned to them. "If you give yourself up willingly and don't make me have to waste any of my time and energy, you won't get the same punishment as your boss. You'll be punished, yes, but you'll be alive. Hernandez, unfortunately, does not have that option. Choose carefully."

They all glanced at their boss. Every single one of them had been saved from an ugly situation by Hernandez, and had unspeakable loyalty to him. I would see how much that meant for them when it was their lives on the line. Their eyes met with his, when their faces hardened, their wills resolved, and their fates sealed. They all lunged at me and I rushed forward, avoiding Wright's grab at me by bending down and using his motion against him, standing up as his legs hit my arms. His body tilted, his head hitting the ground with a sickening and deadly _crack,_ and one of them was out. Johnson was slightly smarter, raining down punches and never letting up from his assault. I dodged and blocked, letting him tire until his guard dropped and I struck, stunning him with a jab to his throat before sinking my second knife into his heart. The third one wasn't much better, and the last one, Dixon, had been too overwhelmed by the suddenness of his inevitable death that it was all too easy to break his neck. As his heart stopped I heard movement and I looked up in time to jerk my head to the side, missing the bullet by inches. The guy who had fired the shot stepped forward. I had been told what his name was, but I didn't bother calling it up from my mind. "Stop! You're killing people in cold blood! I don't give a fuck if Hernandez betrayed Raksha, those men would have followed him to the end of the earth if he asked him to. It's not their fault!"

"Did you know about any of this?" I asked.

"No, of course not but—" he choked on my blade, shocking taking over his features before his eyes glazed over.

I leaned in and stared right into his dead eyes. "Then I have no use for you," I said softly, sliding my katana out of his chest.

Niguel was pissing in his pants by this time. With nobody to protect him, he was now just an aging man with no defense against me. He was a fool to be arrogant enough to not carry a weapon on him. He whimpered as I approached him, spinning my knife in my hand as I walked. Fisting his collar in my hands as pulling him up to my height, I stared darkly into his eyes. I said, "Raksha thanks you for your service." Then I took my knife and dug in deep, making a large gash at his torso, blood spurting from him as he howled in pain. He would die slowly for his betrayal. Making sure the wound was deep enough that there was no possible way for him to survive, I then dropped him to the ground, waiting until he took his last ragged breath.

"You...fucking bitch. You'll rot in hell for what you've done. I would have been...a god with the...riches I got from those hostages."

"There's a chance I'll be in hell, but if I end up there, then I'll see you there." And with that he was gone.

With the blood and death surrounding me, it was no surprise that the remaining guards stepped back with unrestrained fear on their faces. I knew what they saw. A ghost covered in blood, one that could find the deepest parts of your soul with one look in your eyes. One that was untouchable. One that would kill without mercy. Raksha would be getting good business for the next few weeks.

Taking in the people left, I recognized one of the faces. "Tseung!"

The Chinese man jumped in fright at his name being called. I waved him forward. On shaky legs, he moved towards me. Stooping down to grab an abandoned gun, I tossed it at him, practicing my Chinese on him. "Nǐ jīn wǎn shèng xià de zhīchū. Kàn dào tā, nǐ de nánrén bǎituō suǒyǒu de shītǐ, bìng jiǎnchá, rénzhì ānquán de dàodá tāmen de mùdì de_._"

He gulped and bowed. "Shì de, wěidà de yōulíng."

I gave him a nod, and he quickly did as he was told, telling a few of them to gather the bodies and dispose of them, while the rest of them went to the safe houses for extra protection. He called ahead and confirmed their safety, then updated the guards at the safe house on what happened tonight. Word would spread quickly with the news that Hernandez was dead.

I was cleaning up the area when I realized that I hadn't seen Ugalde since before the attack. Quickly scouring the area, I saw no sign of him in the surviving group or in the pile of dead bodies. Taking a deep breath, I caught his scent in the mesh of odors from the dozens of people that were here and from the fight.

"Nǐ xūyào gèng duō de yuánzhù?" I asked Tseung.

"Méiyǒu yīgè wěidà de yōulíng, wǒmen yǒu yīqiè jǐn zài zhǎngwò."

"Keep it that way." I said to him in English. And with that I took off, the predator beginning her hunt for her prey.

It was what an assassin's daughter did, after all.

* * *

**Here are the translations below. If any of you are experts in Chinese, please PM me if these translations are wrong, because I don't know any Chinese and used Google Translate.**

Nǐ jīn wǎn shèng xià de zhīchū. Kàn dào tā, nǐ de nánrén bǎituō suǒyǒu de shītǐ, bìng jiǎnchá, rénzhì ānquán de dàodá tāmen de mùdì de. = You're on charge for the rest of tonight. See to it that your men get rid of all the corpses and check that the hostages arrived to their destination safely.

Shì de, wěidà de yōulíng = Yes, great Wraith.

Nǐ xūyào gèng duō de yuánzhù? = Do you require any more assistance?

Méiyǒu yīgè wěidà de yōulíng, wǒmen yǒu yīqiè jǐn zài zhǎngwò. = No Great Wraith, we have everything under control.

**Reviews warm my heart.**


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